Steam-chest lubricator.



. TATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. D. A. & c. M. RAMAGB. STEAM CHEST LUBRIGATOR. APPLICATION IILED HAYI 1906 670W? 1% BY ATTORNEVJ rs: NDRRIS Pntks co., WASNIHCJUN, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL ABNER RAMAGE AND CLARK MAY RAMAGE, OF PERCY, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-CHEST .LUBRIGATOR.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Applicationfiled May 1,1906. Serial No. 314,660.

T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL ABNER RAM- AGE and CLARK MAY RAMAGE, residing at Percy, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and 1111- proved Steam-Chest Lubricator, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention seeks to rovide a simple and inexpensive means a apted to be attached to or located near the steam-chest and controlled by the reciproc'able movement of the valve-stem of the steam-chest for automatic ally feeding the lubric ant-for example, crank-axle grease-into the steam-chest; and in its generic nature our invention comprehends a cylinder or lubricant-holder having a pipe connection at one end that communicates with the steam-chest, a piston-plunger operating in said chest, and actuating mechanism operated by the valve-stem for gradually forcing the plunger-piston inward to automatically expel the lubricant from the' holder into the steam-chest.

Our invention in its more complete nature embodies a lubricant-holding cylinder, means for detachably connecting it to the steamchest or bed-frame, a plunger or piston in the cylinder, a step-by-step gear-actuated mechanism for gradually forcing the piston-plunger inward, a tube connection that leads the lubricant from the holder to the steam-chest, and a ratchet mechanism for actuating the gear mechanism that moves the plunger-piston, and adjustable devices on the valvestem for controlling the movement of the ratchet mechanism.

In its more subordinate features our invention consists in certain details of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective cylinder and the steam-chest with our improvements applied in their operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the steam-chest view of an engineand our improvements, the cylindrical lubricant-holder being inhorizontal section. ig. 3 is a front elevation of the steam-cylinder l and chest with our improvements applied. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the ratchet knockers on the devices and the adjustable 'plays the valve-stem. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the lubricant holder or cylinder with its head member opened and the piston-plunger removed to admit of a quick refilling.

- In the practical application of our invention we provide a cylindrical holder or reservoir 1 of suitable diameter and length, which is supported on the steam-cylinder bracket or supporting-frame of the engine, disposed in the longitudinal plane of the steam-chest and held, preferably, between the said chest and boiler-wall c, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The inner end of the holder 1 has acentral outlet 1, with which is connected the tallow (lubricant) conveying pipe 2, which joins with a suitable coupling 3 on top of the steamchest, through which it discharges into the said chest.

To provide for readilyrefilling the holder 1, its front head 1 is hinged at 1 and has a fastener device 4 so arranged that when the piston-plunger 5 is pulled out to the limit the said head and piston can be readily swung back, as shown in Fig. 5.

The head 4 has a central slot 4, in which flat stem or rod 50, that has the piston 5 on its inner end, and the said rod 50 has its under face for nearly its entire length formed with rack-teeth which will presently appear.

At a point just in advance of the valvestem aperture in the steam-chest 6 is a bracket 7, on which is journaled a horizontal shaft 8, upon one end of which is mounted a large ratchet-wheel 9 and on the other end of which is a small pinion 10, that meshes with a larger pinion 11 on a second horizontal shaft 12, journaled in a bracket-bearing 13, parallel with shaft 8 and which carries at its outer end a small pinion 14, that meshes with a cog-gear 15 on a short horizontal shaft 16, journaled in a bracket 17 and having a small pinion 18, that meshes with the rack-teeth 51 on the piston-rod, as shown.

Adjacent the large ratchet-wheel 9 is a ratchet-lever 19, fulcrumed at its lower end, as at 19, having a spring-held ratchet-wheel engaging pawl 20 at its upper end, which acts to impart intermittent movements to the ratchet-Wheel 9, the extent of which is governed by the throw of the lever 19, which throw is regulated by'a pair of knockers on 51, the reason for the stem 21 of the valve that plays in the steam-chest 6, which knockers comprise lugs 23 23, which may be fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the stem 21 and an adjusting-screw screws have such relation to each other and to the ratchet-lever as to straddle the lever, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, from which it is apparent that on the outthrust of the valvestem the screw 24 will strike the lever 19 and force it forward and impart, through the ratchet-pawl, a partial rotation to the ratchet-wheel 9 which may be the distance of one or more teeth in the said wheel, ac-

cording to the. adjustment of the knockers,

it being also apparent that the lever'19 is swung back by the knocking action thereon of the screw 25 on the return or back travel of the valve-stem.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the complete construction, the operation, and advantages of our invention will be readily understood.

Among the advantages isthe ease in which the holder can be refilled and the ease in which the adjustment of the ratchet-leveractuating devices can be made to provide for a fast or slow feed of the piston. By arranging the gearing that joins the steam-chest valve and the piston in the lubricant-holding cylinder, as shown, the feed of the grease from the cylinder will be rendered positive and uniform, and, furthermore, our invention is composed of such details and peculiar arrangement of mechanism that the same may be readily applied to the ordinary locomotive type of engine cylinder and chest without in the least changing their structural arrangement or form.

24 25 on each lug, which Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lubricating means of the character described, a lubricant-holding member, having a discharge in one end and its other end hinged to swing outward, a plunger movable in the holding member and having a shank mounted in the hinged end to swing outwardly therewith and automatic means for imparting an intermittent forward movement to the plunger.

2. The combination with the lubricantholder having a pipe connection with the steam-chest, the plunger-piston operating thereon having a rack-stem, the oscillating ratchet-lever, the ratchet-disk and the gearing connecting said disk with the rack-stem of the plunger-piston, and the adjustable knockers on the valve-stem that engage with and oscillate the ratchet-lever, as set forth.

3. The combination with the steam-chest and the valve-stem thereof, of a cylindrical grease-holder having a pipe connection at one end with the steam-chest, the other end or head being hinged to open outward, said hinged head having a central slot, a plungerpiston for the holder having a flat stem that works through the said head-slot and having a portion of one edge formed with rack-teeth, gearing connected with and actuating said rack-equipped piston, said gearing including a ratchet-wheel, a hinged ratchet-lever engaging with the ratchet-wheel as set forth.

DANIEL ABNER RAJWIAGE. CLARK MAY RAMAGE.

Witnesses:

HOWARD CAMERON, HORACE G. CAMERON. 

